In an automatic publishing system utilizing, for example, a digital printing press, a document can be tailored for individual clients. For example, although the majority of the content of a document may remain constant across a client base, there may be a need to alter certain characteristics or portions of the content on a client by client basis. This will result in a set of documents which differ in either layout or content, or by a combination of the two resulting in personalized and customized documents.
To be effective as communications or sales tools, such documents must continue to be visually appealing and aesthetically pleasing, despite having been adjusted in some way from an initial design. Producing, for example, millions of unique versions of essentially the same document not only presents challenges to the printing process but also disrupts standard quality control procedures which may be in place. The quality of the alignment of each document can easily distinguish a professionally looking document from an amateur design and some computer generated layouts.